Coach Foller is speaking now, and he seems to make a joke because everyone laughs—everyone except me and Parker.

“I’d like to present you with this jersey and hope it finds its home in the White House for longer than just this year. Once a rebel, as we say, always a rebel,” Coach Foller concludes.

The stoicism on Parker’s face breaks when she winks at me, but I don’t relax. I force myself to un-ball my fists, lifting and bringing my palms together repeatedly when Josh bumps my shoulder.

“What’s going on with you?” he whispers as he claps along with everyone. “Cameras—and the president—are straight ahead.”

I stare out at the sea of cameras.

“It only matters how it looks,” I hear Parker say as she walked me down to my car from her apartment that night in Atlanta. “If we look like America’s sweethearts, we’ve sold it. But we can’t make it look like we’re trying too hard.”

I argued that we didn’t exactly leave a lot of room for practice, but I know that won’t be too hard for me. I’m seconds away from living out my longest-standing dream. But what’s more important is I’m seconds away from getting her out from her family’s thumb.

“I’m great,” I tell Josh in between beats of my palms before I drop my hand and feel for the ring in my pocket. “This might be the best day of my life.”

When the line begins to move and Josh steps closer to the president, I duck back, placing a hand on Micah’s shoulder and pushing him ahead of me as I shuffle to the side.

The slightest bit of curiosity flashes across Candice Montgomery’s face as I approach. It appears and disappears so quickly that if I had blinked, I might have missed it. I’ve got to hand it to her. Her husband might be president, but she’s got a face as outwardly unfazed as any politician I’ve ever seen.

“Sir—”

I hold out a hand to the Secret Service agent, and I raise my voice so everyone in the vicinity hears me. “I’d like to enjoy this moment with my fiancée if you don’t mind.”

I guess I broke the wall a little bit. Candice’s eyes widen and stay that way as I sweep my hand away from the agent and beckon to Parker.

“Come on, babe. It’s not every day the president gets to celebrate his future son-in-law winning the Super Bowl.”

I only have to wait half a very-racing heartbeat for Parker to come. As soon as our fingers are linked, I wink at the agent who tried to stop me.